Family Law

The Law Offices of Jeffrey R. Bloom litigates and tries family law disputes throughout the State of Maryland in such jurisdictions as Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Baltimore County, Howard County, and Harford County. Mr. Bloom is experienced in guiding his clients through these times of great personal turmoil.

A divorce is one of the most frustrating events that a person can encounter. Therefore, the Law Offices of Jeffrey R. Bloom counsels its clients to pursue a course of litigation that minimizes the emotional toll that comes with divorce while aggressively protecting one’s monetary interests. Mr. Bloom strives to achieve litigation advantages at every step of family law litigation in order to put his clients in the best possible position.

Our firm provides legal representation in Maryland for the following types of family law cases:

Separation Agreements

The Law Offices of Jeffrey R. Bloom drafts separation agreements on behalf of clients seeking to resolve divorce, separation, or custody issues. While litigation often becomes necessary in domestic cases, usually it is in a family’s best interest to resolve separation issues amicably. A separation agreement can save a great deal of money in attorney’s fees and limit the emotional anguish that comes with a divorce.

Most importantly, these agreements allow divorcing spouses to deal with marital property, support, custody and other issues as they see fit as opposed to leaving major life decisions up to a trial judge. In Maryland divorce cases, a judge is constrained by the Maryland Marital Property Act which may result in an unfavorable result in a divorce case. Whereas the law can limit a judge’s ability to fashion a fair resolution in a divorce, divorcing spouses can achieve almost anything through a separation agreement allowing them to protect their family better than the courts can.

Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

Preparing a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can protect marital and non-marital assets in the event of a later divorce. Should a marriage breakdown, a prenuptial or postnuptial can effectuate an orderly distribution of marital property. In Mr. Bloom’s opinion, however, the most beneficial aspect of drafting a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is that one can limit the potential damage caused by the acrimony that often pervades divorce litigation.

Unfortunately, there is a stigma associated with these agreements that causes many couples to avoid using this very important legal tool. Mr. Bloom understands the emotional reluctance to signing a prenuptial agreement, but believes this reluctance is misplaced. Having a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement does not doom a marriage and it certainly does not mean that both spouses aren’t fully invested in the marriage.

The Law Offices of Jeffrey R. Bloom views prenuptial and postnuptial agreements as simple insurance policies. No one plans, hopes, or expects to be in a serious car accident, but that does not stop people from buying insurance in the event that something catastrophic and unexpected happens. A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is a good insurance policy to have.

Divorce

The Law Offices of Jeffrey R. Bloom handles divorce cases throughout the State of Maryland. At the outset of a divorce case, Mr. Bloom believes it is especially important to educate our clients concerning the divorce laws that will apply to their case, the various equitable remedies that can be requested, and the possible outcomes of divorce litigation. This is because many people have misconceptions about how divorce operates in Maryland, and there are a number of complexities in the Maryland divorce statutes that would surprise people. Our firm feels it is especially important to understand your rights and to set your goals early on in a divorce case.

Financially speaking, there are usually two major elements of divorce cases in Maryland: (1) the court addresses how marital property is distributed and (2) the court addresses how the respective income streams of the parties factor into a final divorce decree. Each of these general issues should be addressed in a thoughtful manner because there are so many variations of ways that a court can rule in a divorce case.

As to marital property, Maryland applies equitable distribution laws. In doing so, courts approach different types of property in different ways depending on how the property is titled. For the most part, property titled in the name of one spouse cannot be transferred to the other spouse or even sold. However, there are numerous exceptions to this general rule. For example, a marital interest in one spouse’s retirement account can be transferred to the other spouse. Likewise, an ownership interest or right to use the marital home can be transferred to one spouse to the exclusion of the other spouse. When one party has a disproportionate amount of property titled in his or her name, a Maryland court can even direct that spouse to pay the other a sum of money in order to equitably adjust the parties’ property rights. Because a court can distribute marital property in so many different ways, the Law Offices of Jeffrey R. Bloom works closely with its clients in order to identify their priorities and best interests as they relate to marital property distribution at the outset of their case.

With respect to the second main element of divorce cases in Maryland, courts carefully take into account the respective income streams and earning capacities of each party. When divorcing spouses have disproportionate income streams, one spouse may be granted an alimony (spousal support) award. Because there are no precise guidelines for alimony in Maryland, alimony awards tend to vary greatly with the facts of each case. In defending against an alimony claim, one may wish to “impute” income to their spouse by arguing that their spouse voluntarily impoverished themselves or has an earning capacity well in excess of his or her current income.

The Law Offices of Jeffrey R. Bloom thoroughly investigates and prepares divorce cases for its family law clients as the outcome of every divorce case is highly fact dependent.

Peace, Protective, and Restraining Orders

In Maryland, through requests for peace and protective orders, a person can obtain court ordered protection against abuse, harassment, threats, and all other manner of prohibited conduct. In such cases, it is usually advisable that the victim seek legal assistance in securing an Order as a failure to do so can have devastating consequences. Because so much is on the line in abuse cases, it is important that victims and the accused have assistance in dealing with all of the procedural nuances of prosecuting such a petition.

Jeffrey R. Bloom has tried many domestic violence cases in the State of Maryland. In doing so, he has found that these incredibly important legal remedies are often abused for improper purposes. For example, many divorce cases start with a domestic violence action in which one party seeks litigation advantages as opposed to really needing protection. This truth harms actual victims because judges can become desensitized to the glut of domestic abuse claims that work through the courts.

Mr. Bloom has successfully obtained restraining orders on behalf of victims of abuse, and he has successfully defeated such claims that were made in bad faith, to harass, or to annoy an innocent person.

(c) 2012 Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information regarding our firm. Any information regarding past performance should not be used as an indicator for future performance. This site may be considered advertising in some jurisdictions.